The present invention relates generally to printer cartridge products and more specifically, to a uniquely configured tape ribbon cartridge specifically adapted for regulating printer operation utilizing a data communication component.
Dot matrix printer assemblies utilize ribbon cartridges that contain continuous strip of material impregnated with an ink solution. The ribbon is contained in a cartridge container that normally mounts around the dot matrix printer's print head. As the ribbon passes between the printer head and a sheet of paper, the print head selectively forces the ribbon against the paper in order to print information onto the sheet of paper.
In order to print the information, small rods or pins in the printer head are thrust into the ribbon, which then makes contact with the paper adjacent the pins, thereby transferring ink from the ribbon to the paper. Through the proper combination and configuration of pins (the head of each marking a dot), the ink transferred is transformed into recognizable letters or symbols. Typically, the higher the impact force of the pins on the ribbon the darker the resulting image. Many printers commonly produce a consistent impact force.
As the printer assembly moves across the sheet of paper, the ribbon, which is formed as a continuous band, is also pulled laterally across the gap between the paper and the print head, continuously providing a new ink-impregnated ribbon area to be struck by the pins for the printing operation, and pulling the used ribbon area away from the print head. If the ribbon does not move continuously, the ribbon and the ink impregnation would likely wear out quickly in response to repetitive striking of the same area.
Recent developments in dot matrix printers allow the cartridge to carry specific information used to retrieve operational parameters from an external database. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,147 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,892, a method and apparatus are disclosed for adaptively controlling printer operation of a dot matrix printer in response to sensing a resistive value of a cartridge corresponding to a attribute of the ink ribbon or the cartridge installed therein. Under the teachings of those documents, the printer obtains the resistive value from a resistive ink identifier disposed upon the ink cartridge. At that point, the printer accesses an external database and uses the resistive value to obtain an operational parameter from the external database.
Using the aforementioned method and apparatus, the printer first obtains the resistive value from the cartridge and then utilizes the resistive value to retrieve the operational parameters from a source external to the cartridge. However, this configuration does not allow the printer or cartridge to update operational parameters in response to printer usage. Additionally, such a configuration requires the printer to access operational parameters found only in an external database. Furthermore, the printer or its external database would need to be updated in order to supply new information regarding each new cartridge, which might be a difficult and time-consuming step.
Thus there exists a need in the art to provide a ribbon cartridge that tends to simplify and better facilitate the providing of operational information to a printer. There is a need in the art to provide a method in which the operational information may be supplied to the printer reducing the risk of requiring modification of the printer or other components in order to do so. Finally, there is a need in the art to provide a convenient method and apparatus for providing and updating the operational information corresponding to a given cartridge.